ITALY

Taranaki Daily News, 22 June 1915, Page 5

ITALY

FIGHTING NEAR THE ISONZO. IMPORTANT ITALIAN GAINS. THE ATTACK ON MONTE NERO. Rome, June 20. Official: The following are the details of the battle for a height on tho let t bank of the Isonzo commanding Plava, which is at the bottom of the Pass ol Inshut, which has steep, wooded slopes, with a swift and deep rivaOietween:— Our troops by great and courageous efforts threw pontoons across and made night attacks at dawn on the loth in face of terrible difficulties, including networks of stout barbed wire reinforced with iron bars and numerous hidden gans. The Italians, after repeated assaults with the cold steel, debouched in the evening on the 'border of the first position. All counter-attacks were driven back, and we carried the heights on the 17th, but the enemy concentrated violent artillery and machine-gun fire and repeatedly sent fresh troops. These weie decimated and finally repulsed by the bayonet. Our losses were serious, but the results were important. Details of the attack of the Alpini on the northern slopes of Monte Nero, where the Austrians were being constantly reinforced, show that the ground was so difficult that the Italian staff decided to advance at night in absolute silence. It was hoped by climbing almost perpendicular rocks to attaci; the enemy on two sides. The Alpiui | were armed with rifles and bombs. Some took off their boots and wrapped their feet in rags, in order to climb up the crags quietly. By dawn a column .in operation on the Vi'ata couifterj scrap, and another north-west of Monte ' Potoce. Meanwhile the Alpini were within two metres (six feet) of the enemy before they were detected. They leaped into the trenches, and there was a furious hand-to-hand fight with the bayonet and rifle-butts. The Italians then took the second line of trenches. The incident of the Hungarian attack followed and was repulsed as cabled. Simultaneously two Italian columns made a night attack on the Monte Kozliak front. They got within 200 yards of the Austrian trenches before "they were detected. The Alpini, without a moment's hesitation, dashed in, forced the astonished Austrians to retreat, arid pursued them with firestones and hand grenades, while a second* column struck the Austrian rear 1 and cut off their retreat. Six hundred I Austrians were taken prisoner and 300 • left the field wounded. The Italian losses were slight. The Delta of the • laonpo is impracticable for warships, 1 owing to the shallowness of. the water. The naval gunners silenced the batteries at Duiio by means of floating batteries similar to those used in Alexandria in 1882. REPORTED AUSTRIAN BRIBES. CROSSING THE ISONZO. (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) e Received June 21, 5.45 p.m. ii London, June 20. 0 A Rome official report says: Austrie ans delivered manifestoes to Italian sol--1 diers by means } of balloons, promising the men a crow'n for every rifle, S(W crowns for a machine-gun, and 2000 h crowns for a cannon or an aeroplane surk rendered. e When the Italians crossed the Tsonz.o :t to attack Tolmino, the liersiiglieri were t- just over the river when an Austrian r- .shell destroyed the bridge. Tile Bcrie saglicri were confronted byi an appark ently impregnable first line of trendies, it and had decided to assail them and sell s. their lives dearly when the? Alpini signs nailed from the mountain cre-i; that tin ts Austrian tren.che- were only imitation; in and were lined with puppets dressed a: Austrian,; and armed with wooden guns THE PRESENT OEJECTIVE. THE AIiVANCE ON TOLMINO. Fro in ihf l-ite.-t reports of (he opera thins of tile Italians it. can he seen tiia 1 a del< nuined ell'ort is being made ie clear the way for an advance alon; the Isonzo valley, and the cables ot tie last lew days emphasise (he import,inci h° of til's p!ut: e. The invasion of (lie Kali ans is directed to (wo point--one ii the Trenlino, in the valley of the Adige (he other on the side of the Austria! Friuii, eai-t of the Isonzo. In the firs thev are engaged on the minor passe vo leading to the Trent and making sine iia progres.-,. in the second the enemy col fronts them at Tolmino, near the hea waters of the Isonzo, in a position whic appears to require regular siege opera tions. The place is described ollieiall as the Przeinvsl of the Austrian line o the Isonzo. It is held by MUWHI me, The Austrian hope is by holdin the Tolmino the advance of (he Italia line on Trieste, iu the country belo" will be held up—probably lil_l stron reinforcements may come to Trieste an ' I Finnic. The Italians are evidently n: ' t disposed to allow any extension of tim. , Tiiev are bombarding the Austrian pos tions energetically. Everywhere tl; enemy is oil the delensive. mV "The Cup that. Cheers" gives greate? "!'< ciiho'ir.er.t and refreshment when fille wits, '-Desert Gold" Tea. You reall ' must try this excellent Tea. All gnpe ef